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Guys,

I have encountered this Mills Golden Nugget and I am curious if it is an original or not. Looks to me like it could be...has an original mills lock and key, doesn't have a club handle, has the two tone naked ladies, what appears to be an original mech and I didn't know if they ever reproed them in dime denominations. On the doubt side, it doesn't have formica sides, hand load jackpot or the brass and chrome fitting around the bottom.

Perhaps it is an original casting on a non-GN machine?

I would welcome your expert opinions!

Thanks!

Not an original golden nugget. From Dave Burritts website heres some info,
http://www.ibuyoldslots.com/ReproArticle.html

That is a reproduction using a Buckley slot. Most parts are probably original Mills or Buckley.

Its hard to tell with those photos. The wood case looks original.

Sam is correct, definitely it’s made up. Probably is an original Black Cherry or Golden Falls but it has a repro Nugget kit added. If you search the Forum for original Nuggets, there are pictures posted and you can easily see the difference. Las Vegas machines had to have hand load jackpots because you had to state the amount of the jackpot and the originals have a large coin tray which runs across the entire front of the machine. Any with the small pay cups are not original Nuggets.

George

Here’s what the original looks like.
George

radiorich123 wrote:Its hard to tell with those photos. The wood case looks original.

Originals had Formica sides.

True, they did have Formica sides but a number that have been restored have had the Formica removed.

George

Gentleman...thank you all for your replies info and opinions.

What is interesting about this machine is that it does have a stamped award card....it definitely is not just silk screened. That is what lead me to wonder if it might be at least an original front casting. But I can see from closely studying George's excellent photo of an original that the bottom of the casting is significantly different and could not have accommodated the wider payout tray on an original. So it is possible that a stash of original award cards got out of the Nugget? Obviously this one, while stamped, has not been punched out for a front load jackpot lock. Did some early reproer go to the trouble and expense to stamp some award cards?

This machine definitely has an original mech. Both token detect arms are there and it clearly has some age to it. As far as the cabinet being original (not necessarily an original Golden Nugget one), the slug reject cup is there but I guess that could have been added.

Iroc2u2010....what leads you to believe this was based on a Buckley machine? Looks very much Mills to me but I have only had my hands on one Buckley machine so not much experience to compare it to. Is it the Mills badge to the right of the reel windows? Did that used to have a Buckley badge there and the revamper replaced it with a Mills?

Woodrailfanatic,
Interesting that the award card is embossed and not a silk screen, especially interesting that it’s embossed and no hole for the hand load jp! There is/was a stash of nos parts award cards that I’ve heard of but I do not have first hand information on, as well as some other nos gn parts, again not first hand knowledge.
Hopefully this discussion moves forward, would definitely be interested in learning more on this subject!
Woodrail, do we know each other? Shipped a woodrail via greyhound sometime back, was that you?
Sam